Newcastle United earned a point at St Mary’s with a 2-2 draw against a fiesty Southampton side who came from behind twice to prevent Rafa Benitez’s men.

United went ahead with a goal from Isaac Hayden in the first half but Manolo Gabbiadini levelled matters with a long range drive of his own. United only waited 86 seconds to reply through Ayoze Perez but a Florian Lejeune error – fouling Shane Long in the penalty area – gave the Italian striker an opportunity to draw Saints level from the spot.

United boss Rafa Benitez will have been frustrated not to get more from the game having taken the lead twice. Newcastle defended well overall but mistakes were punished and Lejeune – recalled for Ciaran Clark, whose international exertions may have counted against him – blotted his copybook with one error in an otherwise excellent game.

Newcastle’s three away games had only yielded three goals in total this season but neither team seemed happy to just sit back on a day when Benitez came up against one of his former charges in Mauricio Pellegrino.